The LCPS Podcast (Loudoun County Public Schools)

For the final LCPS Podcast of the year, LCPS Public Information Officer Dan Adams and Renee Dawson, Director of Family and Community Engagement Year, take a look at their favorite podcasts of the year and share what they are looking forward to next year. See the LCPS Podcast webpage to access this week's podcast or to take a look back at other podcasts released this year. We hope you will tun...

In a moment when public education faces intense scrutiny and rapid change, what kind of leadership matters most? In the latest episode of the LCPS Podcast, Superintendent Aaron Spence sits down with Shelley Berman, co-author of The Call to Courage , to explore the courage, integrity and relationship-centered leadership required to serve students and communities today. Tune in to this week's L...

El pódcast de LCPS de esta semana presenta un episodio especial, Empodérate y Participa (Engage and Empower), disponible tanto en inglés como en español y creado por la Oficina de la Alianza Educativa, Familiar y Comunitaria para Estudiantes de Inglés (EL FACE). Los oyentes conocerán sobre los programas de verano, la Conferencia para Familias de Estudiantes de Inglés EMPOWERED en noviembre y las f...

This week’s LCPS Podcast features a special episode, Engage and Empower, available in both English and Spanish and created by the English Learners Family and Community Engagement Office (EL FACE). Listeners will learn from EL FACE Supervisor, Sarah Ocampo and EL FACE Instructors Karla Blasquez and Mona ELKholy about Summer Programs, the EMPOWERED EL Family Conference in November, and executive fun...

The Better Together Podcast hosts/producers Anthony Beckett, Camille Jones, and Everette Callaway recap key points and favorite moments from past episodes and discuss their vision for the 26-27 school year

For the May School Spirit podcast, Renée Dawson, director of Family and Community Engagement, sits down with students from Farmwell Station Middle School who participate in Sources of Strength, a student‑driven mental wellness initiative focused on building resilience, shifting unhealthy peer norms, and strengthening connections with trusted adults to promote well‑being, hope, and healthy coping....

LCPS Public Information Officer Dan Adams speaks to the 2026 Principal of the Year, Katie Johnson from Belmont Ridge Middle School, and the Teacher of the Year, Eric Kursman, an English teacher at Blue Ridge Middle School. 

LCPS Superintendent Dr. Aaron Spence speaks to authors Dr. Floyd Cobb and John Krownapple about their book, Belonging Through a Culture of Dignity. The book dives into the importance of dignity and belonging, while it might appear to be self-evident at first glance, it’s not until these concepts are truly unpacked, that educators realize the dire need for belonging through dignity. Once these fund...

In this week’s LCPS Podcast, Engage and Empower, listeners learn from English Learners Family and Community Engagement Office (EL FACE) Supervisor, Sarah Ocampo, and EL FACE Instructors Karla Blasquez, Mona ELKholy, and Rahima Abdullah about the importance of elevating student and family voices through feedback circles and using executive functions as a foundation of habits that lead to academic s...

El pódcast de esta semana de LCPS, Empodérate y Participa , ha sido creado por la Oficina de la Alianza Educativa, Familiar y Comunitaria para Estudiantes de Inglés (EL FACE). Los oyentes aprenderán de la supervisora de EL FACE, Sarah Ocampo, y de las instructoras Karla Blasquez, Mona ELKholy y Rahima Abdullah, sobre la importancia de elevar las voces de los estudiantes y las familias a través de...

In this episode of DEIA: Better Together , we will explore the role Equity Leads play in supporting the work of our student leaders and sustaining our many communities’ cultures of equity and inclusive connection. Co-Host Camille Jones, DEIA Specialist, is joined by Equity Leads Dr. Michael Matthew, Rochon Moore Bumgardner, Sarah Jones, Jennifer Herrin, Stephen Readyoff, and Meg Miles to discuss t...

For the April episode of the School Spirit podcast, Renée Dawson, Director of Family and Community Engagement, sits down with six students from John Champe High School and Shalonda Davis, the school’s Student Activities and Engagement Coordinator.  The students, who are involved in a variety of student leader roles in band, DECA, athletics and student government, share their perspectives on what m...

In this episode of DEIA: Better Together, Co-Host Everette Callaway is joined by Dr. Michael Grubbs, Director of Career & Technical and Adult Education, Ms. Danyael Graham, Social Sciences & Global Studies Supervisor, and Mr. Grant Schafer, Academic Programs Supervisor to explore how Loudoun County Public Schools brings the vision of “Where the World Learns” to life. Together, they discuss...

Superintendent Aaron Spence sits down with Jennifer Ferrance, Supervisor of the LCPS Welcome Center, to explore how her team supports families as they join our school division. In a community with diverse backgrounds, cultural experiences, and educational backgrounds, the Welcome Center plays a vital role in ensuring every new family feels prepared and supported from day one. The team recently exp...

 For the March School Spirit podcast, Renée Dawson, director of Family and Community Engagement, talks with students from Aldie Elementary.  They are joined by Aldie Principal Ashley Barkley and behavior resource teacher Jessica Vermont to talk about what community means to them and how it comes to life at Aldie. The students share their favorite community‑building traditions and explain Aldie’s m...

This month on the LCPS Podcast, Dr. Spence takes on one of the most important and rapidly evolving topics in education today: generative AI in K-12 schools. Joined by Dr. Tom Ryan of the K-12 Strategic Technology Advisory Group and LCPS Chief Technology Officer Aaron Smith, the conversation explores where schools are right now with AI -- and where it’s headed next. From instructional impact and ac...

In this episode of DEIA: Better Together,  Co-Host Anthony Beckett is joined by Dr. Elizabeth Whitehead, DEIA Specialist, and Mr. Gary Ricci, Restorative Practices Specialist to explore the consequences of choosing comfort over connection and the harm caused by unaddressed silence in our systems and to discuss: Curriculum Violence: Examining how silence and exclusion can cause unintended harm. Res...

Dr. Aaron Spence talks with Jen Evans, director of LCPS’ Student Mental Health Services, and Brennan, an 11th-grade student at Heritage High School, about the upcoming United for Wellness Conference. Jen shares what you can expect at the conference, and Brennan provides reasons to attend. Learn more about the conference at www.lcps.org/wellness (This podcast is an audio recording of the February T...

In this episode of School Talk, Superintendent Dr. Aaron Spence sits down with education leader Dr. Doug Reeves to explore what parents want most from their children’s schools when it comes to teaching and assessment. Together, they discuss how meaningful learning, thoughtful feedback, and high expectations help prepare students for success after graduation -- whether that path leads to college, c...

This week’s LCPS Podcast features a special episode from Engage and Empower, a podcast created by the English Learners Family and Community Engagement Office (EL FACE). In this episode, EL FACE instructors Karla Blasquez and Min Young Cheng guide families through important topics related to supporting English Learners. Listeners will learn how students are identified and determined eligible for se...

Esta semana, el Podcast de LCPS presenta un episodio especial de Engage and Empower, un podcast creado por la Oficina de Participación Familiar y Comunitaria de Aprendices del Inglés (EL FACE). En este episodio, las instructoras de EL FACE Karla Blasquez y Mitza Hanger orientan a las familias sobre temas importantes relacionados con el apoyo a los estudiantes aprendices del inglés. Los oyentes apr...

In this episode of DEIA: Better Together , we’re exploring the importance of ensuring that students are a part of the planning process as we build programs and initiatives designed to benefit and support them, and the impact of centering student voice and facilitating opportunities for students to lead the work. Co-Host Camille Jones, DEIA Specialist is joined by Lyn Fiscus, Extracurricular Specia...

For the January School Spirit podcast, Renée Dawson, director of Family and Community Engagement, talks with five Blue Ridge Middle School students who are active in PEER, the Ambassador program, and Student Council. The students share what community means to them and how their involvement in these activities helps strengthen connections across the school. The students also reflect on the school m...

LCPS Superintendent Dr. Aaron Spence speaks with high school students Skyla from Woodgrove HS and GU from Potomac Falls HS about their experiences and opinions on opportunities for LCPS students to learn outside the classroom and discover their passions.  

December’s School Spirit Podcast takes listeners inside Broad Run High School, where Renée Dawson, Director of LCPS’ Division of Family and Community Engagement, chats with students about how they’re building a culture of belonging. From PEER to the Muslim Student Association to Student Council, these young leaders share how their organizations create connections, celebrate diversity, and strength...